A. Species
Scientific name: Chionoecetes opilio
Common name(s): Snow crab
Global IUCN Red List Threat Status:
B. Location of use
Geographic location(s):
- Norway
Country/Region: Norway
C. Scale of assessment
Scale of assessment: National Level
Name/Details of location: Barents Sea
D. Timescale of use
Start Year: 2002
End Year: 2016
E. Information about the use
How is the wild species sourced?: Wild species sourced from a suitable habitat but not its own natural habitat
Type of use: Extractive
Practice of use: Targeted fishing harvesting/exploiting or collecting wild aquatic resources
Lethal or non-lethal: Lethal
Does this use involve take/extraction of: The whole entire organism
Purpose(s) of end use: Food and feed
Motivation of use: Basic subsistence, Income generation from trade (individual/household/community) and Largescale commercial exploitation for trade
Is this use legal or illegal?: Legal under national law
F. Information about the Users
Which stakeholder(s) does the record primarily focus on?: Local people, National / local government, National / local private sector, International private sector and International external
G. Information about the sustainability of use
Is there evidence that the use is having an impact on the target species?: Wild species sourced from a suitable habitat but not its own natural habitat
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from an ecological perspective been recorded?: Yes, considered sustainable
Details of assessment carried out: Regular surveys NB this is an invasive species with no clear evidence of how and when it arrived in the area - first observed in the Barents Sea in 1996
Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: Despite substantial increase in fishing pressure, snow crab populations are increasing. Authors state: Based on regular surveys of crab populations in the Barents Sea, it is assumed that the volume of snow crab will increase. Thus, this industry will continue to be important to the Norwegian seafood industry.
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from an economic perspective been recorded?: Yes, considered sustainable
Details of assessment carried out: This study
Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: Highly resilient invasive population can support this commercially profitable industry.
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from a social perspective been recorded?: Yes, considered sustainable
Details of assessment carried out: This study
Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: Highly resilient invasive population can support this means of livelihood.
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from a human health perspective been recorded?: Yes, considered sustainable
Details of assessment carried out: This study
Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: Although the study stresses the risk of shell-fish allergies.
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from an animal health/welfare perspective been recorded?: Yes, considered sustainable
Details of assessment carried out: This study
Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: Animal welfare: Authors state "the main challenge will be to reduce the mortality rate by improving live storage conditions from harvest to destination markets".
Recommendations provided in the record to maintain or enhance the sustainability of the use of the target species
Need to optimize and improve existing processing conditions and to increase the valorization of by-products (oil, protein, and shell). Important to take measures to reduce snow crab mortality rate by improving live storage conditions from harvest to destination markets.
Record source
Information about the record source: scientific_pub
Date of publication/issue/production: 2018-01-01T00:00:00+0000
Source Reference(s):
Date of record entry: 2022-12-12